Maqbool Fida Husain was born in 1913 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra. A self-taught artist, he came to Mumbai in 1937, determined to become a painter. In 1948, he was invited by F N Souza to join the Progressive Artists ' Group. Husain began his career by painting billboards for feature films and making furniture designs and toys, to earn a living. When took up painting as an art form, however, he returned time and again to his roots, and to themes that blended folk, tribal and mythological art to create vibrantly contemporary, living art forms. His rise as a public figure had as much to do with his style and presentation, as it did with his themes. He depicted the icons of Indian culture, through the ages, seeking to capture the quintessence of his subjects, like Mother Teresa and the characters of epics like the Mahabharata.
one of the most popular and perhaps the most charismatic and flamboyant of Indian modernists, MF Hussain’s paintings are pretty much like his life and persona – full of energy, flux, fermentation, always topsy-turvy, restless, edgy, never static. Hussain was a cult figure of sorts. His rags to riches story, combined with his many eccentricities such as walking barefoot and always painting by spreading his canvases on the floor, mirror his painting style. Hussain’s works are literally magnum opuses, one after the other! Broad in scope and imagination, his paintings straddle with ease a bizarre and riotous world of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, characters from the ancient Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata along with images of Indian rivers, festivals, cities and symbols of modern Indian pop culture.
Hussain’s modernism lies in the seeming irreverence of his works. There is no attempt at seriousness, no attempt at making his works speak a particular language. Rather, there is a play of energy and multiplicity, a play of complexities, very much suited to a changing nation, laying bare all its self-contradictions and inconsistencies.
In a career that spanned seven decades, Husain also made feature films, such as Through the Eyes of a Painter, in 1967, which was a Golden Bear Award winner at the Berlin Film Festival, and Gajagamini in 2000. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan awards, both prestigious civilian awards. Husain passed away in London in 2011.
Education
Self-taught
Exhibitions
SelectedPosthumousExhibitions
2017 'Yatra: The Rooted Nomad', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2015 'Paintings and Drawings from a Private Collection', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2015 'Abby Grey and Indian Modernism: Selections from the NYU Art Collection', Grey Art Gallery, New York University, New York
2014 'Immutable Gaze Part I: Masterpieces of Modern and Pre-Modern Indian Art', Aicon Gallery, New York
2014 'Post-Picasso: Contemporary Reactions', Museum Picasso of Barcelona, Barcelona
2013 'Maqbool', Soverign fze, Dubai
2013 'Ram Kumar and the Bombay Progressives: The Form and the Figure Part II', Aicon Gallery, New York
2013 'Pioneers of Modernism', Sovereign FZE, Dubai
2013 'Ideas of the Sublime', presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2013 'The Discerning Eye: Modern Masters', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2013 'The Naked and the Nude: The Body in Indian Modern Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Iconic Processions', Aicon Gallery, New York
2012 'Gallery Collection', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Indian Highway VI', organized in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery, London, and the Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway at The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing
2012 'Between 2 Lines', organised by Doha Bank and Blue Mosaic in association with Sotheby’s at Doha Bank Tower, Doha
2012 'Contemporary: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Art', presented by Sakshi Gallery at The Park, Chennai
2012 'Through the Ages: South Asian Sculpture and Painting from Antiquity to Modernism', Aicon Gallery, New York
2012 'Crossings: Time Unfolded, Part 2', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2012 Gallery Basilio, Bangladesh
2011-12 Presented by ICIA at The Arts Trust, Mumbai
2011-12 Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA), Mumbai
2011-12 'The Body Unbound', Rubin Museum of Art, New York
2011 'A Tribute to MF Husain', Royal Academy of Arts, London
2011 'The Path of the Lotus: Indian Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2011 'Modern Masters', Aicon Gallery, New York
2011-12 'Indian Highway', in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery, London and the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo at MAXXI: Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome
2011 ‘Manifestations VI', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'States of Departure: Progressives to Present Day', Aicon Gallery, London
2011 'Celebrating Husain', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi 2011 'POP: Progressives on Paper', Aicon Gallery, New York SelectedSoloExhibitions
2010 'M F Husain 2010 – The World is my Canvas', organised by Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Qatar Foundation and as part of 2010 Arab Capital of Culture
2010 'M.F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s–70s', sponsored by the Year of India, the Cogut Center for the Humanities, and the David Winton Bell Gallery at David Winton Bell Gallery, Providence
2006-07 ‘Epic India: Paintings by M. F. Husain’, Herwitz Collection of Contemporary Indian Art, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
2006 ‘Early Masterpieces 1950-70’s’, Asia House Gallery, London
2005 ‘Exhibition of Prints’, Collector’s Paradise Gallery, Mumbai
2004 ‘Husain (An Exhibition of Graphic Prints in Honor of M S Subbalakshmi), Lakshana Museum of Fine Arts, Chennai
2004 'And Not Just 88: Husain in Oils', National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2004 ‘Husain: Graphic 2004’, Pictures and Frames, Mumbai 2003 ’88 Husains in Oils 003', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Husain Hieroglyph’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2003 ’88 Husains in Oils 003', Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2003 ‘Thief of Baghdad’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2003 ’88 Husains in Oils 003', Gallerie 88, Kolkata
2003 Paris
2002 ‘Paintings and Serigraphs by Husain’, Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda
2002 ‘M .F Husain, Limited Edition Graphics and Reproduction’, Sakshi Gallery in association with Archer Art Gallery, Ahmedabad
2002 ‘Madhuri as Saratchandra’s Chandramukhi: The Eternal Enchantress of Devdas’, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2000 ‘Paintings, Murals and Drawings, Husain Ki Sarai Collection’, New Delhi
1998 ‘Maqbool Fida Husain: The Beacon of Energy’, The Window, Mumbai
1998 ‘Husain Now’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1996 ‘From Sinhasan to Peacock Throne to the Chair of the 21st Century: M. F Husain and Jehangir Nagree Exhibition of Furniture’, organized by The Living Room at Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai
1996 ‘Exhibition of Water Colors and Object Based Works’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1996 Screening of Film ‘Gaja Gamini’, along with an Exhibition of Lithographs and Site Specific Works, New Delhi
1995 ‘Maqbool Fida Husain’, Art Today, New Delhi
1995 ’14 Serigraphs on Madhuri Dixit’, Surya Gallery, Hyderabad
1995 ‘A Visual Script of ‘Untitled Film on Madhuri’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1994 ‘Tapestry Show’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1994 ‘Oils on Canvas’, 31st Anniversary Exhibition, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1993 ‘Let History Cut Across Me Without Me’, organized by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
1993 ‘Civilization, Violence and Pather Panchali’, at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
1992 ‘Six Days of Live Painting’, Tata Centre, Kolkata 1991 ‘Knight Watch’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1991 ‘Shwetambari’, Installation at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1991 ‘Front Page’, Centre for Contemporary art (CCA), New Delhi
1990 ‘Theatre of the Absurd’, Installations, New Delhi
1989 ‘Calcutta 300’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1988 ‘Husain’, Hunter Museum of art, Tennessee, USA
1986 ‘Images of the Raj’, Sista’s Art Gallery, Bangalore
1983 ‘Story of a Brush’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1982 ‘Culture of the Streets’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1981 ‘Culture of the Streets’, Art Heritage, New Delhi
1981 ‘Les Otages – Mere Theresa’, Galerie Jourdan, Montreal, Canada
1980 ‘Mother and Child: A Tribute to Mother Teresa’, Calcutta Art Gallery, Kolkata
1979 ‘Husain in Malaysia’, The Hilton, Kuala Lumpur
1978 ‘Ragmala Paintings’, Centaur Hotel, Mumbai
1978 ‘Sufi Paintings’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1978 ‘Portrait of an Umbrella’, Art Heritage, New Delhi
1978 ‘Retrospective’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1975 ‘Maqbool Fida Husain’, Sarla Art Centre, Chennai
1974 Commonwealth Art Centre, London, UK
1974 Moscow Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow
1974 ‘Paintings by Husain’, Worcester Art Museum, USA
1973 ‘Retrospective’, Birla Academy of art and Culture, Kolkata
1973 Espace Cardin, Paris
1972 ‘Paintings 1971’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1971 Ashoka Hotel, New Delhi
1969 ’21 Years of Painting’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1968 ‘Images of Kerala’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1968 ‘Six Days of Making: Movements and Moods in Paintings’, Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi
1967 New York, Poland and Czechoslovakia
1966 Mumbai
1966 Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi
1965 ‘Drawings: The Arab Image’, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi; Gallery Waisty, Baghdad and Kabul
1964 Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi
1962 Ashoka Gallery, Kolkata
1962 Mumbai and New Delhi
1961 Ashoka Gallery, Kolkata
1961 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
1961 Gallery Palse, Rome
1961 Tokyo
1960 Gallery Palse, Rome
1960 Kunst Kabinet, Frankfurt
1956 Gallery Palette, Zurich
1956 Gallery Mannes, Prague
1950 Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
Selected Group Exhibitions
2011 'Continuum', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010-11 'Figure/Landscape: Part Two', Aicon Gallery, London
2010 'Figure/Landscape: Part One', Aicon Gallery, New York
2010 'Who Has Seen Gandhi?', presented by Tangerine Art Space at Raj Bhavan; KynKyny Art Gallery and Tangerine Art Space, Bangalore
2010 'The Modernists', RL Fine Arts, New York
2010 'The Progressives & Associates', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2010 'From Miniature to Modern: Traditions in Transition', Rob Dean Art, London in association with Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'Symbols and Metaphors', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2010 'Masters of Maharashtra', collection from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi at Piramal Gallery, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai
2009,10 'Master Class', The Arts Trust, Mumbai
2009 'Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art', Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
2009 'In Search of the Vernacular', Aicon Gallery, New York
2009 'Indian Harvest', presented by Crimson- The Art Resouce, Bangalore at SG Private Banking, Singapore
2009 'Long Gone & Living Now', Gallerie Mirchandani + Steinreucke, Mumbai
2009 'Kalpana: Figurative Art in India', presented by The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Aicon Gallery, London; The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
2009 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2008-09 'Signs Taken for Wonders: Recent Art from India and Pakistan', Aicon Gallery, London
2008 'Frame Figure Field: 20th Century Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Multiple Modernities: India, 1905-2005', Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA
2008 ‘Freedom 2008 – Sixty Years of Indian Independence’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2008 'Tales, Reflection and Constructs', Galerie 88, Kolkata
2008 ‘Exhibition of Seri–Prints’, Studio Vasant, New Delhi
2007 ‘Gateway Bombay’, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
2007 ‘From the Vault’, Aicon Gallery, London and New York
2007 ‘Epic India: Paintings by M F Husain’, Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, USA
2006 ‘Pictorial Glimpses’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2006 ‘Summer Show’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2006 ‘M F Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950s-70s’, Asia House, London
2006 ‘The Moderns Revisited’, Grosvenor Vadehra, London
2006 ‘Shadow Lines’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2006 ‘Making of Divinity’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2005 ‘Manifestations III’, organized by Delhi Art Gallery at Nehru Center, Mumbai and Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
2005 ‘Drishti / Vision: Indian Contemporary Artists’, Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA), Kuala Lumpur
2005 ‘Evoking Rasa in Luminous Visions: Indian Art’, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA
2005 ‘Ashta Nayak: Eight Pioneers of Indian Art’, Aicon Gallery, New York
2005 ‘The Sacred Feminine’, Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi
2005 ‘Still Life: The Inscrutable Genre’, Art Motif, New Delhi
2004 ’20 / 20 – A Vision: Looking Back / Looking Forward’, Apparao Galleries, Chennai
2004 ‘Ruminations’, Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai; The Forum, New Delhi; Windsor Manor Hotel, Bangalore; Museum Gallery, Mumbai
2004 ‘Jiva / Life’, Bodhi Art, Singapore
2004 ‘Portrait of a Decade’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
2004 ‘Manifestations II’, organized by Delhi Art Gallery at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai and Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
2004 ‘Concept and Form’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Anniversary Master Strokes’, Art Musings, Mumbai
2003 ‘Manifestations I’, organized by Delhi Art Gallery at World Trade Center, Mumbai and Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi.
2002 ‘Art Musings 2002’, Art Musings, Mumbai
2002 ‘Colors of India’, organized by Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata at Mumbai
2001 ‘Anniversary Return to Eden’, Art Musings, Mumbai
2001 ‘Modern Indian Art’, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York
2000 ‘Distillations’, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
2000 ‘Timeless Vision: Contemporary Art from the Herwitz Collection’, Haggerty Museum of Art, Milwaukee, WI
2000 New Works, The Fine Art Resource, Berlin
1998 ‘Ruminations’, Apollo Apparao Galleries, Mumbai
1998 ‘The Window’, Mumbai
1997 ‘Indian Painters Having Lives in France’, Alliance Francaise, Pondicherry
1997 ‘The Indian Beast’, Apparao Galleries, Chennai
1997 ‘Inaugural Exhibition’, Art Indus, New Delhi
1997 ‘Tribute to Mother Teressa’, Art Indus, New Delhi
1997 ‘The Keehn Collection: Important Paintings of Post Independence India’, Bose Pacia, New York
1997 ‘Colors of Independence’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
1996 ‘Contemporary Indian Paintings: The Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, Part II, Sotheby’s Auction, New York 1996 ‘Modern and Contemporary Indian Paintings: One Hundred Years’, Sotheby’s Auction, London
1995 ‘River of Art’, Art Today, New Delhi
1995 ‘Contemporary Indian Paintings: The Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, Part I, Sotheby’s Auction, New York
1995 ‘Art India Now: Important Contemporary Artists’, Bose Pacia, New York
1995 ‘Mithuna’, 91C Jermyn Street, London
1994 Art Today, New Delhi
1994 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1993 ‘Reflection and Images’, Mumbai
1993 ‘Wounds’, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1991 ‘National Exposition of Contemporary Art’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
1991 ‘Husain, Husain and Husain’, Egypt
1991 ‘Remembering Kali Pundole on its 28th Anniversary’, Mumbai
1991 ‘State of Art’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1991 ‘Nine Indian Contemporaries’, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), New Delhi
1988 ‘Festival of India’, Takoka Municipal Museum of Art & Meugro museum of Art, Tokyo
1987 ‘Indian Drawing Today’, Mumbai
1986 ‘Indian Art Tomorrow’, The Phillips Collections, Washington D.C
1986 Contemporary Indian Art, Grey Art Gallery, New York
1985-86 ‘Festival of India’, Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art, New York University, New York
1985-86 ‘Indian Art Today: 4 Artists’, Washington D.C, USA
1985-86 ‘Contemporary Art in India’, Worcester, USA
1985 100 Jahre Indische Malerei, Altes Museum, Berlin
1985 ‘Six Indian Painters’, Tate Gallery, London
1982 Indische Kunst Heute, Kunsthalle Darmstadt
1982 ‘Contemporary Indian Art’, Festival of India, Royal Academy of Arts, London
1982 ‘Six Indian Painters’, London
1982 ‘Contemporary Indian Art’, London
1982 ‘India: Myth and Reality’, Aspects of Modern Indian Art, Oxford, UK
1982 ‘Modern Indian Paintings’, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC.
1982 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1973 Gallery Chanakya, New Delhi
1972 ‘A Painter Makes a Film’, Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1970 ‘Art Today II’, Ashoka Gallery, Kolkata and Shridharni Gallery, New Delhi
1969 ‘Art Today I’, New Delhi
1968 Ahmedabad
1967 ’25 Years of Paintings seen in Bombay’, Mumbai
1966 Commonwealth Art Exhibition, London
1966 ‘Art Now in India’, London and Brussels
1964 ‘Indian Paintings Now’, London
1962 Asoka Art Gallery, Kolkata
1961 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
1958 ‘Eight Painters’, International Culture Centre, New Delhi
1951 Salon de Mai, France
1950 Calcutta Group – Progressive Art Group, Joint Show, Kolkata
1950 Bombay Art Society's Salon, Mumbai
1948-56 Group Exhibitions with Progressive Art Group
1949Mumbai
JointExhibitions
2011 'Between 2 Lines', with Owais Husain at Indian Embasy, Muscat
2009 ‘Spirit of India’, with S H Raza at Kings Road Galleries, London
Participations
2011 'Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
2011 'Goddess, Lion, Peasant, Priest: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', from the Collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin at Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, Atlanta
2011 ‘Manifestations V', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose
2011 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2011 'Celebrations 2011', Kumar Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'Evolve: 10th Anniversary Show', Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'Art Dubai 2010', presented by Aicon Gallery, New York
2010 ‘Manifestations IV', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'Roots', 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai at The Park, Chennai
2010 'Celebration 2010', Annual Exhibition, Kumar Art Gallery, New Delhi
2009 'Armory Show', New York presented by Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008-09 'Modern India', organized by Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) and Casa Asia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture at Valencia, Spain
2008-09,10 'Indian Highway', a Traveling Exhibition presented in Collaboration with Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo at Serpentine Gallery, London; Herning Museum of Contemporary Art (HEART), Herning, Denmark
2008-09 'Paz Mandala', Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2008 'Moderns', Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan
2008 'Harvest 2008', organized by Arushi Arts at The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi
2007-08 'From Everyday To The Imagined: Modern Indian Art', Singapore Art Museum, Singapore and at Museum of Art, Seoul National University, Seoul
2001 ‘Jubilant Gold: 50 Years of Artists’ Centre, Artists’ Centre, Mumbai
1987 ‘Festival of India’, Russia
1987 ‘Coups de Couer’, Halle de I’lle, Geneva
1985-86 Bharat Bhavan Biennale, Bhopal
1971 Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil
1959 Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil
1959 Tokyo Biennale, Japan
1955 National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1955 Venice Biennale, Italy
1953 Venice Biennale, Italy
Honours and Awards
2007 Raja Ravi Varma Award, Government of Kerala
2007 Honorary Doctorates, Benaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
2007 Honorary Doctorates, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
2007 Honorary Doctorates, Mysore University
2004 Lalit Kala Ratna, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1997 Aditya Vikram Birla ‘Kalashikkar’ Award for Lifetime Achievement
1989 Padma Vibhushan, Government of India
1973 Padma Bhushan, Government of India
1968 National Award for Best Experimental Film ‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’, India
1967 Won the Golden Bear for his film 'Through the Eyes of a Painter', International Berlin Film Festival and purchased by Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York
1959 International Biennale Award, Tokyo
1955 Awarded Padmashree, Government of India.
1955 First Prize at the National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1947 Bombay Art Society, Mumbai
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